


Blood Drabbles II: Castle Vastle

by TheTurtleFromHell



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff and Humor, Funny, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25869442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTurtleFromHell/pseuds/TheTurtleFromHell
Summary: Grab your whips and floating swords, and warm up those magic hands! We've got a collection of Castlevania drabbles good enough to be displayed in the Belmont Hold!
Relationships: Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades
Comments: 29
Kudos: 45





	1. Scorched Earth

The smell of charred earth filled the air. Time was still between the three of them as smoke and silence filled the air, the spot of the disaster in the middle of their circle.

Alucard opened and shut his mouth a few times as if his voice had been sealed away by shock. When he spoke, he asked the question that desperately needed answering…

“What the  _ fuck _ happened!?”

_ \--three minutes earlier-- _

Trevor and Sypha sat beside each other, bored out of their minds as they had nothing to do but watch the stew boil over their small cooking pit.

“God, this is taking forever.” Trevor groaned, “I’m starving over here, for Christ’s sake!”   
“I think he put it on a low fire on purpose,” she hums in thought, resting her chin on her knees, “Just to make us starve to death.”

Another moment of drooling like crazed hounds over the smell of cooking meat and vegetables later, a lightbulb went off in the Belmont’s head, “Hey Sypha?”

“Yeah?”

“Alucard left us in charge of the food, right?”

“Well, he told us to watch it…” she hesitated, “But since he’s not present, that does make us technically in charge of it. Why, what were you thinking?”

“Simple,” he says as he sits up straight, holding a pointed finger in the air as he speaks, “If he said it takes ten minutes at 350 degrees, then it should only take one minute at 3500 degrees!”

Sypha hummed in thought as she considered the logic, “I suppose it would… and we could keep it warm for him while he’s still out getting the firewood.”

“Exactly!” he beams.

“Alright!” she claps her hands together excitedly, summoning flames to her palms, “Let’s do this!”


	2. Treat

“Did you hear that man ranting in the square today?” Vlad asked, feigning idle conversation as he washed the dishes, “The things he were saying were quite disgusting.”

“Mhmm.” Lisa says, more focused on her medical notes than conversing. There had been a third death with cold-like symptoms, and she was determined to figure out what it was before a plague swept through the village.

“Misogynistic, racist, and every other -ist you could imagine,” he continues, “I tried to engage him in intelligent debate, but it was if he was convinced he was a prophet of some sort! Some people you can’t change I suppose. Quite the shame. The world would be better off without those sort of folks, but there’s nothing that can be done about it unfortunately-”

Lisa slammed her hands down on the desk, whirling around with a frustrated look, “Vlad Dracula Tepes, are you trying to get my permission to eat someone?”

“Absolutely not.” he said defensively, looking offended at the suggestion. All Lisa had to do was cross her arms and cock a brow, and his facade crumbled, “... maybe.” he confesses, giving a look more fitting of a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, “In all fairness love, I never actually suggested it.”

“...Fine, if it makes you let me work.” she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, “One human. One. As a treat.”

He was out the door before she turned back to her papers, leaving her the rest of the evening alone with her work (much to her relief).


	3. Weakness

Trevor Belmont fought demons without so much as a hint of fear. He dominated boogeymen in battle and freed the common folk from their dark clutches. If you gave him any monster name, he could recite ten different ways to hunt and kill it.

He had experienced the cruelty of his species and still came out on top, undefeated and undeterred. He had more than his fair share of fights while in less than ideal condition and still won (the majority of) them. He lived through the tough conditions of both streetlife and the Wallachian wilderness.

But there was one battle he had yet to win despite his best efforts…

“Sypha,” he pleaded pitifully in a defeated, tired voice, holding their still awake baby in his arms, “I can’t get them to nap.”


	4. Prince

“And so the kid said to me, ‘Die monster! You don’t belong in this world!’, so I said to him “Well I’m in it, ain’t I?’. So then, get this, he-”

“Long story short, you probably decapitated him, drank his blood, slaughtered the village and had a massive orgy on their graves.” Raman sighed, pinching her brows, “We’ve heard a million stories just like it Godbrand.”

The viking scoffed, crossing his arms and looked to the side with an offended air about him, “Well excuse me for trying to make conversation. I’m trying to make sure we’re not bored to death while our kind takes his precious time getting here!”

The entire council cringed. Speaking badly of the Lord in his own castle was a bad move, as it was rumored the building was an extension of his mind, an extreme form of shapeshifting.

“No one but you is bored here,” Zufall said as he tapped his papers, laying the neat stack down, “The rest of us are busy getting our business in order." 

“Yes, boring stuff, like I said.” Godbrand shrugged.

Just then, the doors opened. The council all stood up in presence of their lord… who wasn’t there.

Standing in his place was a small blond dhampir, his father’s cape dragging behind him as he walked into the room with a confident stride and a serious expression that was clearly learned from his father.

The council stared wide-eyed at the boy as he walked to the throne, climbing into the chair and standing to address the council, “Generals, good evening.”

The council all exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of the situation. Was Dracula nearby somewhere? Had the old bat really sent in his son in his place or was this just the shenanigans of a child? Was it a test to see whether or not they’d respect their half-breed prince?

Thankfully, the boy’s mother burst into the room, clearly out of breath, “My apologies!” she says, laughing awkwardly, “Turned my back on him for a second and he’s already causing trouble.

Adrian turned to his mother, “Mother, I’m in the middle of a meeting!”

“Adrian, stop. Let the adults do their business.” she says as she picks him up, much to the six year old’s dismay.

“NO! Unhand me, mortal!” he yelled as he struggled.

“Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, don’t you dare speak to your mother like that!” she scolded as she walked out, saying “Again, apologies.” to the Council before shutting the door.

There was a moment of silence, before Godbrand (predictably) broke it, “Is it just me, or is Lisa more intimidating than Dracula?”

“Godbrand, shut up.”

* * *

“Sometimes you’re quite the handful Adrian.” Lisa sighs as she places the folded cape back into the drawers, “Your father has told you many times those meetings are for adults only.”

“But he says I’m a prince!” he pouts, arms crossed and lower lip sticking out.

Lisa sighed, “I warned your father about this exact situation when he wanted to tell you.” she pinched the bridge of her nose, “Adrian, you might be a prince, but you are also a child.”

“And a dhampir!” the boy added proudly, “I’m no mere mortal!”

“Oh?” she cocked a brow as she smiled, “But you forget young lord, I am also no mere mortal.”

Adrian’s confident expression quickly turned to a confused one, “You’re not?”

“No, my dear Adrian, I am what they call…” her voice dropped to a menacing whisper, her arms raised above her head in a menacing pose, “A mom!”

“NOOO!” Adrian squealed as he fled, laughing all giddy as he ran down the halls.

As he ran past his father’s study, however, he saw a tall figure hunch over the desk. He skidded to a halt, turning on his heel and running to the doorway.

Dracula looked up from his desk and smiled, “Hello, my boy.”

Adrian went to reply, until he heard his mother’s footsteps fast approaching. When he turned to run it was too late, and he was trapped in his mother's arms as she relentlessly attacked with cuddles and tickles.

“I surrender!” Adrian declared between laughs. Just for good measure, the cruel mistress gave her captor one last hug and kiss on the cheek before releasing him.

“What did the boy do this time?” Dracula asked as he finished signing a document.

“He went into the Council room and began conducting the meeting himself.” Lisa explained, taking great enjoyment as the little color that was in Dracula’s face drained away.

“Oh dear…” he sighs, “Lisa, we’re still on the page that one child was enough, right?”

“Oh yes, definitely.” she chuckles as he walks to her, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame.

“Good,” he says as he pecks her cheek, “Because any more and I’ll deposit myself on the Belmont’s doorsteps ready to be staked.”

“Oh really?” she smirks, “You think I’d let you leave me alone with two or more of your little hellspawns?”

“ _ Our  _ hellspawn, dearest.” he corrects as he kisses her, “And the reason I’d hand myself over to the Belmonts is because I’ll get a quicker death than with you.”

“Damn right.” she nods proudly.

Sometimes, Vlad felt like mentioning that their son’s dramatic flair wasn’t just on his father’s side. He always decided against it in the end.


	5. Kitty Kitty

“Vlad, time to wake up!” Lisa said as she shook her sleeping husband.

The vampire groaned, pulling the covers over his head, “Five more minutes, love, I beg you. I’ve only been a daywalker for four years.”

“Only?” she echoed, crossing her arms, “May I remind you that I changed my entire sleep schedule in a matter of months before our son was born, so I’d be able to stay on the same schedule as him?”

The vampire peeked from under the covers, smiling, “You truly are a wonder woman.” he says, before turning over and shutting his eyes.

Lisa shook her head as she giggled, “You are too much of a cat.”

Vlad opened an eye, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well you sleep all day, you demand affection constantly and get hissy very easily.” she said, counting each point on a finger.

“I do not demand affection!” Vlad said indignantly, “And when was the last time I hissed?”

“Yesterday, when you stepped on a wooden building block.”

Vlad glares at her with a pout more befitting of a child than the ruler of vampires, “That doesn’t count.”

“Yes it does.” she sing-songs as she kisses his cheek, “Five more minutes, and no more.”


	6. Tantrum

A bone-chilling howl echoed through the castle halls, followed by hideous wailing and blood-curdling screams. The halls began to rattle, furniture shaking and things falling off their shelves as the horrible noises continued. One would think a great beast was stomping through the castle, intent on causing chaos and bloodshed.

The actual cause was a three-year old dhampir with the strength of twenty men.

And although Lisa knew that having this child would have a wild set of challenges, this wasn’t one she expected. Still, the doctor took it all in stride, sitting down on her son’s bed as Adrian continued his tantrum, wearing a calm stern expression as her wild child stomped his feet and left cracks in the floorboards, as he threw himself to the ground and flailed around causing books and knick-knacks to fall off shelves, and even as he called her the meanest mom ever and threatened running away.

Just as she expected, Vlad soon came running into the room frantically, “What is all this ruckus!?”

“I told Adrian he wasn’t going to have cookies for breakfast and now he’s throwing a fit.” she explained calmly.

“Oh dear,” he sighed, turning to his son with the intent of putting a stop to the tantrum. However, Lisa grabbed his arm, “Don’t.”

“Don’t?” he repeats in confusion, “Lisa, he’s destroying the room.”

“He’ll wear himself out.” she replies matter of factly.

Lisa, I-” he sighs in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose, “He is not an ordinary child.”

“I’m very well aware,” she says, motioning to the ongoing destruction, “But he is a toddler like any other, and when he tires himself out he’ll see he’s not getting my attention, and we can talk about better ways to express his frustrations.”

“But Lisa, what if he hurts you on accident?” he protests, nearly shaking with anxiety, “He can’t control himself yet.”

Lisa’s expression softens as she sighs, “I understand your concern, but how is he going to learn to respect us both if you’re the only one handling his discipline?” she asked.

The King of the Night opened his mouth to counter… but ultimately came up with nothing.

“Let me handle this.” she says, kissing his cheek, “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Vlad hesitated, looking between her and his son, before speaking “Just call and I’ll be here.”

“Of course love.” she smiled, watching as he walked out the door and shut it behind himself.

Lisa wasn’t quite sure how long she sat there, but her predictions eventually came true. Adrian’s screams quieted down to whimpers and his thrashing came to a still. He wiped at his eyes and nose with the heel of his hands as his mother walked over at last, kneeling by his side, “All done now?” she asked.

Adrian sniffled and gave a defeated nod.

“Good,” she smiles as she pulls a kerchief from her pocket, wiping his face and hands, “Now we can talk because we’re calm, see?”

The toddler considers this for a moment, before mumbling, “But I want cookies…”

“Right now we’re eating breakfast.” she explains, “We can have cookies when it’s snack time, as long as you help me clean up this mess.”

Adrian glanced around the room at the destruction, before nodding.

“Thank you.” she smiled as she wrapped his arms around him. Adrian giggled through his tears, returning the embrace before kneeling to the floor with her to begin the task at hand.


	7. Overwhelmed

Alucard remembered when he was little, he was quite a handful. Along with being able to literally climb walls and literally turn into an animal, he was an easily overwhelmed child.

The world was loud, and though he had vampire senses his mind was often unable to process it quickly enough to prevent an overload from sensations both inside an out.

His parents, well versed in medicine of the mind and body, taught him breathing techniques and calming mantras to repeat to himself.

But there were days when deep breaths and positive affirmations weren’t enough, days when everything was too much all the time, like his brain was being assaulted by every sensation, sound and sight.

One of those days was today.

His heart felt like it was tight and melting all at once as he curled under the covers, trying to forget the lonely castle, trying to find solace in the soft cave like a wolf seeking shelter from a storm. But how do you escape a storm when it’s inside of you?


	8. Bribery

“You need to have a talk with your generals about their conduct with our son.” Lisa said as she put her hands on her hips, looking rather unamused.

Dracula’s undead heart skipped a beat as he looked up from his work with a fretting expression, “What did they do?”

“Follow.” is as she says as she beckons him to follow.

The entire way to Adrian’s room, his mind races with possibilities of whatever misdeed against his child had happened. He knew having a half-breed son would stir up some discontent in the court, but had they really been so bold as to do or say something to his child? This had been the precise reason he hadn’t allowed Adrian to attend any of the meetings in the first place!

His thoughts weighed heavy with dread as Lisa pushed open the door… only to be replaced with confusion when he saw his son playing with a toy ship... one that he didn’t remember seeing before, along with every other toy that lay scattered around the six year old dhampir, who was so involved in his game he hadn't even noticed his parents coming into the room.

“Where did he get all these toys?” Dracula asked as he bent over and picked up a wooden figure of a dragon, turning it in his hand.

“From your generals.” she states plainly, “Every time they’ve come over for a meeting, they gave the servants a toy to give Adrian.”

“Oh…” he says as he looks back down at the mess of toys, “How long has this been going on?”

“Nearly every week, like clockwork.” she sighs, “I thought nothing of it at first, but this is getting out of hand.”

“I see.” he hums in thought. He suddenly recalls a sudden change in Adrian’s demeanor when he went from being upset about his father going to meetings to being rather upbeat on said days.

“I know you tell me I’m much too suspicious of people for my own good, but I can’t help but smell a bit of bribery going on.” he said as he put the toy down on the dresser.

“I’m inclined to agree.” she nods, “But you have to admit, the thought of a bunch of centuries old vampire warlords trying to impress a six-year old for political gain is rather funny.”

“Quite,” he sighs, “Forgive me for not laughing, I’ll do so after I call up each of those parasites on the mirror and admonish their conduct.”


	9. That Hurt

There was a sense of peace that came with repairing the castle.

After his father’s death, Alucard was determined to make the ruins of Castlevania his grave. His friends, bless their mortal hearts, rejected that notion. They began working to make the Castle a home once more, a place for them to have dinners and spend evenings reading books together and have friendly spars.

As Alucard dusted one of the many parlors, he felt remarkably cheerful. For the first time in a long time, there was a sense of belonging. At last, everything was going to be ok-

**_CRASH!_ **

The dhampir whirled around at the explosion of sound, expecting to see a night creature crashing through the walls. Instead there was a large hole in the ceiling, and Trevor laying down in a mess of wood, snote and mortar. 

For a moment, neither moved. They could only look at each other with a look of surprise, as if neither knew how they ended up in this situation or what to do about it. Time stood still until Trevor broke the silence.

“Hey Alucard.”

“Hey Trevor.”

“... That hurt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based off this famous video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBJU9ndpH1Q


	10. Pest

It happened just as Alucard was admiring how clean the Belmont hold was. Sure there were a few bookshelves that seemed to have broken under the weight of time, but for a place unmaintained for nearly two decades it was remarkably clear of dust and cobwebs.

“It reminds me of my father’s libraries.” he says, “Clean and tidy, despite the fact he had no servants to clean them.”

“Maybe he cleaned them?” she suggested, “I mean, a vampire could get a lot of cleaning done with their super speed and what not.”

“Maybe there’s a spell being used on both the hold and his castle.” the dhampir hums in thought, “I’ll have to ask…”

Sypha cringed as she heard his voice trail off, turning around to him with a look of concern, “Alucard, are you-?”

Her question is interrupted with a yelp as he suddenly scrambles back into a corner, pointing frantically at the bookshelf. The Speaker ran over, expecting to find a cursed artifact or a horrifying relic… only to find a small cockroach resting atop a book.

“Aw!” she cooed as she gently nudged the bug into her hand, “It’s just a little roach is all.”

Alucard had seen a lot given his mother’s profession. He had seen toes smashed flat, bones sticking out of people and every bodily fluid you could imagine spilling onto the floor of his mother’s practice. And even with all that, nothing had made him make such a face of horror as the sight before him.

“Put it down, it has diseases!” he all but shrieks.

Sypha chuckles, “But look at him cleaning his tiny face!” she says as she holds him up.

“Sypha I would never ever lay a hand on you, but if you come any closer I am going to start swinging.” he warned.

“Oh come on now,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes, “They’re completely harmless! I had one as a pet when I was a girl.”

Alucard’s jaw dropped in disbelief, “You WHAT!?”

“Well not everyone can have cats and dogs.” she says, “His name was Hamilton, I kept him in a gallon jar and fed him my leftovers at night.”

“If you even  _ think _ about keeping that thing I am going to sleep outside with the horses rather than anywhere near that thing.” Alucard threatened as he edges along the wall.

“Your choice.” Sypha shrugs, “By the way, there probably are more roaches outside than there are in here.”

“Then put it outside with the others!”

“Excuse me, but why the fuck are we all yelling over here!?” Trevor asked as he walked over. 

As Sypha turned around with the cockroach in hand, the Belmont came face to face with antennae and pincers.

Trevor Belmont had come face to face with demons and mobs alike, but it was the cockroach that sent the man running in the other direction to hide behind a display case.


	11. Stars

“Alucard!” Sypha called as she wandered the twisting halls of Castlevania, “Dinner’s gonna be soon, what do you want to eat!?”

A few months after they departed from one another, the trio reunited with fresh scars. It hadn’t been easy at first, there had been a lot of resentment and guilt and uneasiness about how to proceed.

But they figured it out, or rather were still figuring out, but it was still welcome progress.

Right now, the only progress Sypha wanted was figuring out dinner since it was just her and Alucard, with Trevor having gone into town to do some shopping.

“ALUCARD!” she yelled, crossing her arms and huffing to herself as she got no response, “Where on Earth could that recluse be?”

Just then, the sound of a music box reached her ears.

The tinkling melody was soft and lifting, one that brought with it comfort to whoever heard it. 

Following the gentle tune down the halls, Sypha found herself in what looked to be a storage room, a single candelabra on the floor providing meager lighting. 

In the far end of the room sat Alucard, back to the door as he held a small music box in his hands, held carefully as if it was the most precious thing on earth.

“Whatcha got there?” she asked as she walked to his side, smoothing out her robes as she sank to her knees.

“An old trinket.” he said as if it was nothing more, but the sad and heavy tone in his voice gave away how meaningful it actually was.

Sypha looks down at the small wooden box, at the two miniature dancers, one tall and raven-haired, the other blonde and short, that spin to its tune, “That’s a pretty song.”

The dhampir nods in agreement, taking a deep breath before recalling, “Mother and Father made it, or rather I think they had it made. I don’t think either of them knew how to actually build one of these. They gave it to me on my seventh birthday.” 

She nodded as she listened, “That’s very touching.” she smiles, then spots something, “Wait, what’s it say on the lid?”

Alucard wordlessly handed over the trinket, watching as Sypha took it with delicate hands and read the words carved into the surface,

_ “Constant as the stars above, _

_ Always know that you are loved, _

_ And our love shining in you _

_ Will help you help your dreams come true.” _

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, hands tracing the etched words. As a Speaker she had always appreciated the meaning behind words, but the volumes at which the poem communicated such tender love was powerful in such a way that it could only have been written by the hand of a loving parent.

“I don’t know if they made it up or read it from somewhere. Probably the latter, since they weren’t good at poetry either.” he chuckles dryly, “If you had read their love letters to one another, you’d agree they had as much writing talent as a rock.”

“Even if they didn’t write it, the fact they chose it for you tells you how they feel.” she remarks.

“Felt.” he corrected as the smile dropped from his face, making Sypha cringe at her own mistake.

Before she could apologize though, he continued speaking “Four weeks before mother was killed, I wanted to move out. I’d been planning it for months, had even put it off for a few weeks so I could keep Mother company as Father went on his travels.” he explained in a small, shaky voice, eyes brimming with tears, “She had wanted me to take it, so that I could take their song and poem for me wherever I landed… and I told her I was too old for such things and didn’t need it, so I put it away in here and flew the nest.”

“Oh, Alucard.” she whispers as she puts the music box aside and wraps her arms around him.

“I should’ve, I shouldn't have left her,” he whimpers as the tears flow down his sharp cheeks, “I was so selfish and stupid, and now she’s-!”

“You couldn’t have known,” she assures in a soft voice, squeezing him tightly, “It’s not your fault.”

He chokes on a sob, “I left because I wanted so badly to be an adult, and now all I want to do is be a kid again so I can scream and cry, and-and-!” he lets out a banshee wail of heartbreak and sorrow, one that breaks the heart of anyone who hears it. 

Sypha feels every heartstring ache for him as she her own tears drip to the floor to join his, “Shhhh, it’s okay.” she says in a trembling whisper, “Let it all out. I’m here Alucard, I’m here…”

* * *

After he washes and dries his face in the bathroom sink, Alucard stares at his own red puffy eyes in the mirror and sighs. He felt hollow and still full of grief at the same time… but he’d be lying if he said having Sypha there didn’t help a little.

He turned the taps off and flicked the lightswitch as he stepped out, only to freeze upon seeing his bed full of the stuffed animals from his childhood bedroom. His ears twitch as they pick up on the winding sound of a key, and looks to see Sypha placing the music box down on the dresser as it’s metal keys play their song. She looked back to him with a lopsided smile, folding her arms behind her back nervously, “I thought maybe… is this okay?”

He can’t help but laugh in disbelief, “You really are something, Sypha.” he says, but still finds himself walking to the bed and gathering the plush toys in his arms. He breathes in their scent deeply as he lays down, the smell of nostalgia and happier times emanating from their faux fur. The music box’s tune carries him away to childhood memories of stormy nights spent in bed with his parents and snow days with hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies. 

The bed sinks as Sypha sits next to him, rubbing his back soothingly.

For once, there is no fire and ash tainting the memories of his parents. At least for tonight, as he gets his wish of being a kid again, watched over by his friend and the starlight from his window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewatched "Barbie as Rapunzel" and this song gave me the feels.   
> Am I crossing over Barbie with Castlevania? Yes.  
> Do I take any critique about this? No.


	12. Wolfie

The first thing they saw when they came into the world was the gentle smile of a mother with hair of gold and eyes that shimmered like a warm forest lake.

“Hello there,” she greeted the stuffed wolf, laying them on her swollen stomach, “I think I’ll dub thee… ‘Wolfie’. Do you like that name?”

As a child’s toy they appreciated the short and simple name, but was unable to express any gratitude.

They were placed in a crib among other toys and blankets, watching the parents lovingly prepare the nursery day and night through the wooden bars. A starry mural was painted on the ceiling as dressers were brought in and filled with more clothes than any baby could ever ask for.

Then suddenly, the room was left alone for a few days. Wolfie began to worry, until at last the parent’s returned, this time with a baby in arms. It was overjoyed when the child was at last laid down by his side, amber eyes looking around curiously at the toys until they landed on them. The baby reached out and grabbed the stuffed wolf by their tail, and no words could describe the euphoria of being chosen as a companion for the child.

Even if it was just to be teethed on with tiny fangs that eventually left punctures in their fabric.

Still, it was nothing a few stitches couldn’t fix.

They watched as Adrian’s babbles turned to words, as crawling turned into walking and scribbles became words and drawing.

They remained a loyal companion, even though the life of a favorite toy wasn’t an easy one.

There were days where they were dragged along the ground or accidentally misplaced in the garden, times when playtime became too rough and a limb was torn off, resulting in Adrian running to his parents with tears in his eyes and pitiful begs to ‘Please, fix it!’.

Still, Wolfie forgave him and endured every wash in the sink and needle and thread.

Then suddenly, Wolfie noticed they were starting to be left behind in Adrian’s room more often than not as the boy grew taller and spent more time at his study desk than with his toys. He even began to cuddle with them less and less each night, until he was placed in the toy basket and never picked up again.

Days and nights began to blend together as Wolfie wondered what they did wrong, dust settling upon the toy as it was forced to stare at the same corner of the room for God knows how long as it yearned for the days of pillow forts and storytimes.

Then suddenly, one night changed everything.

There was a sudden explosion of wood and stone and their boy, now much taller than they remembered, tumbled through the door and crashed into the bed. All it could do was watch in horror as the father, much thinner and monsterlike than they remembered, stalked into the room, claws and teeth bared for a kill. Suddenly, the father stopped, overwhelmed by memories and heartache. 

Wolfie watched as the boy impaled his own father on a post from the bed, watched as he began to melt into ashes and was decapitated by a man who had rushed into the room with a sword and then burned into nothing by a magic woman, before a sudden burst of chaotic dark energy shattered every window and knocked over everything. They fell to the floor, watching as Adrian shook and stumbled back, “I… I killed him…”

They wanted to cry out loud ‘I’m here! Talk to me, pick me up, hold me! I’m here for you!’

But Adrian left with the others, leaving them alone on the floor and staring a new corner of the room

He came back a second time, this time with a bloody sheet covering his nude body and covered in new wounds.

As hard as Wolfie wanted to comfort Adrian like in old times, his mouth was stitched shut and his body was made from cotton and not flesh. Thus, they laid there helplessly until dawn came and their child left for a third time...

* * *

The door unexpectedly creaked open, startling the toy. Still, as Adrian, now healed up and clothed, scanned the room Wolfie refused to get their hopes up… until their eyes met, and they realized that Adrian had seeked them out after all these years.

No words could explain the euphoria as they watched the child walk up to them, nor could they explain the feeling of being picked up after being neglected for so long. 

Adrian’s hands lightly wiped the dust from their fur, a small smile upon his lip as he brought the plush to his chest, “Hello old friend. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

It had, but Wolfie didn’t care. As they were carried out, they were more than happy just being in his arms again, ready for whatever came their way.


	13. Anniversary

It was rainy that particular day, the type that falls in a short but heavy downpour and brings with it a chill that just sucks the life out of everything.

Inside the castle, three souls took refuge from the weather.

Inthe kitchen, Alucard baked. The warm glow of the oven and the sweet scent of flaky biscuits filling the air and keeping away the bitter cold that was trying to seep inside. 

He doubted Trevor and Sypha knew, but it had been exactly one year since they had all met in the catacombs of Gresit. It felt like just yesterday the two had come crashing into his sanctuary, partaking in a sword fight and a harsh exchange of words.

But after that they fell into place easily in each other’s lives. After that they bantered and had each other’s backs no matter what. After that they were… well, the closest thing Alucard had to real friends.

And he was going to be sure to show them how grateful he was for that.

* * *

This was stupid, Trevor thought to himself as he walked through the hold. Still, he found himself wandering through the maze of display cases and bookshelves in search of presents for his friends (a word he still wasn’t used to using).

He doubted the others even knew it was their anniversary, but there was a chance they did, and there an itching voice in the back of the head told him this is what friends were supposed to do for each other, and by failing to do so would be like telling his companions he didn’t care for them.

But as he had soon come to realize, he was really bad at this friend stuff. There was the fear that he might fuck this up, give something that somehow offended Sypha and Alucard’s sensibilities and make them realize befriending him was a mistake. He wanted so  _ bad _ to prove to them he was worth their time, and the want turned into a suffocating pressure.

“Shit…” he mumbled to himself as he gazed at the shelves in thought. ‘Alright, okay, calm down’ he told himself, ‘Just be logical about this. What do they like?’

Sypha definitely liked talking, and books were also high up on her list of things which brought joy. In a hold full of tens of thousands of books, that didn’t help narrow down the search at all. She also liked magic stuff, being the most kindhearted and amazing person Trevor ever knew, and walks in nature.

What about Alucard? Well, Alucard liked being a sarcastic little shit and sounding smarter than everyone else, and he also enjoyed cooking and baking, and he was always drawing in the dirt whenever they spent even a second outside.

And just like that, the perfect gift ideas came to him.

* * *

Sypha knew first hand that ‘It’s the thought that counts’ took on a whole new meaning when you spend your life on the road.

Gifts were meant to be temporary, practical things. Things like books or toys that were bigger than could fit in your pocket did not mesh well with the Speaker lifestyle. They couldn’t take up room in the carts, and if they did then it had to be either food that was going to be cooked or something like a new cooking pot that would benefit everyone.

Being nomadic also meant you didn’t make friends outside the tribe all too often. That wasn’t to say Sypha was bad at making friends, quite the opposite. But when your family only stayed in town for a month at best, friendships were short-lived and never followed up on. She wasn’t a lonely person by any means, after all she had her tribe she knew she could rely and count on. But when Alucard and Trevor came along, she found herself a little taken aback.

Her main issue right now was that she wasn’t sure if gifts suitable for Speakers were gifts that’d be suitable to them. Worst still, she had no means by which to attain a gift she thought a Non-speaker would find suitable. The only money she had was their food budget for when they headed into the village for supplies, and everything in the Hold and the Castle belonged to them and not her.

And so, she sat by the river side surrounded by puddles from the rain, not really sure what to do with herself. She was in a bit of a predicament to say the least and desperate.

“Hey God, if you give me something to give my friends that won’t make them cringe or laugh at me, then I’ll convert and become a nun.”

...No response.

“Figured.” she sighs, tapping her foot in thought.

Trevor and Alucard had childhoods the polar opposite of hers, no doubt. They had grown up in noble households with noble families with luxuries and fancy toys most kids could only dream about.

… and yet, they weren’t like most nobles Sypha had met.

Trevor was certainly humble (though it was hard to tell most times), he had had his land and title stripped from him and was cast into a cruel and unforgiving lifestyle, and yet was one of the most noble men she met.

And Alucard certainly had an appreciation for the simpler things, never once looking down on the less fortunate humans despite the fact he lived in a castle and could certainly pass as royalty to those who just met him.

They had never once made Sypha feel outcast or out of place whenever they all sat together, never once laughed or made fun of the way she did things and didn’t roll their eyes when she told them about her people’s lifestyle and beliefs, so why would they start now?

With a newfound sense of confidence she picked the flowers from the riverbed, smiling to herself as she began weaving the stems together.

* * *

As Alucard placed the plate of warm biscuits on the table, he grabbed a spoonful of honey and drizzled it over the still steaming pastries. Just as he put the jar away, in came Belmont with two crudely wrapped packages in his arms, “Where’s Sypha?” he asked.

“Nice to see you too, Belmont.” he replied as he wiped the flour off the counter and into the sink, “There’s biscuits by the way.”

“You’re the best.” Trevor said as he laid his presents on the table in favor of stuffing a biscuit into his mouth.

“Charming.” the dhampir laughed and shook his head, “I’m surprised there aren’t women storming the castle begging you to take their hand in marriage.”

“You say that as if I don’t already have the best woman in the whole damn world by my side.” he proclaimed proudly, “Speaking of which, where is she?”

“Out for a walk.” Alucard replied, eyeing the mysterious packages, “What’s that you got there?”

“Um, just some old things from the Hold I thought you and Sypha would like.” he rubs the back of his neck, staring at the table rather than meeting his eyes, “Nothing too fancy, just uh…”

“Gifts?”

“Gifts.” he echoes, “That thing. Right.”

The kitchen door opened once more, and in walked Sypha with her nose in the air, “Something smells delicious!”

“Yeah, our resident dhampir isn’t too shabby of a baker.” Trevor jokes, quickly covering up his awkwardness with a joker’s facade, “I keep telling him he should open a shop.”

“And not keep his amazing skills all to ourselves?” Sypha quipped back as she grabbed a biscuit, “I don’t think so.” she says before taking a bite.

“So nice to know I am valued in this household.” he laughs, “By the way, “Trevor says he has gifts for us?”

“Oh?” she smiles, “What’s the occasion?”

Trevor’s previous fluster returns with a vengeance, increasing tenfold, “Oh, uh, nothing in particular. I mean, I was in the Hold and I happened to remember that we had met a year ago, and figured it’d be nice to give you guys something. Not that you have to return the favor or anything, just uh…” he rambles trails off into an awkward cough.

Alucard’s eyes go wide, not with amusement like Trevor thought they were going to, but with genuine surprise, “You remembered too?” he asks, sounding more touched than he ever had before.

“Wait, you know?”

“Well I sure didn’t make these biscuits for no reason.” he said, “But I wasn’t expecting you to keep track.”

“Did you expect me to keep track?” Sypha asks cheekily as she pulls two flower crowns from her sleeves, a carefully arranged ringlet of bright colors.

“I didn’t.” Alucard says as he takes them from her, handing one over to Trevor as he crowns himself with her gift, “How do I look?”

“Like a pompous fairy prince.” Trevor answers as he puts on his, “And me?”

“Like a drunkard faun who just got done frolicking through the fields.” he replies with the fanciness of fae royalty.

“Yes yes, you’re both very pretty.” Sypha giggles before turning her attention to the mysterious presents, “So can we open these now?”

“Sure,” Trevor nodded, handing her the long, thinner package. He watched tentatively as she unwrapped the string and tore away the papers to reveal-

“What is that, a broom handle?” Alucard asked.

“No, it’s a walking stick, for when she goes on her walks and goes traveling.” Trevor corrects, quickly returning her gaze to Sypha for her reaction. His heart practically leaps out of his chest as he sees her eyes sparkle, a bright smile spread across her face as her fingers traced the delicate woodwork, “This is perfect!”

“It is?” he blinks (as happy as he is for the positive reaction, he thinks its a bit much).

“Trevor, this isn’t an ordinary staff!” she beams, “This is one made for channeling magic, I could really do some big and powerful spells with this!”

Sypha throws her arms around him, littering his cheek with kisses, “Thank you Trevor!”

He chuckles, “Glad you like it.” he says, returning the embrace.

Alucard watches them for a moment, before undoing the wrappings of his gifts. He’s met with a leatherbound book, and opens it to skin the text only to find none. It takes him a moment to realize what it is.

“A sketchbook?” he says in surprise.

“Yeah, so you can stop drawing in the dirt.” Trevor says as he and Sypha undo their embrace, “I think your art deserves a better medium than that.”

The dhampir smiled, holding the book to his chest, “That means a lot. Thank you.”

There was not a trace of sarcasm in his voice as he said that. His genuine reaction was then affirmed when Sypha pointed out “Oh my God, he’s tearing up!”

“No I’m not,” he says as he looks away and wipes at his eyes, “I just got flour in my eyes is all.”

“If you say so.” Trevor chuckles, “Anyways, is anyone else going to have another biscuit or can I finish the rest?”

“Treffy, don’t be greedy.” she playfully chides.

“Okay, Syphy-Wifey.” he replies sappily, causing Alucard to dramatically retch from across the table.


	14. Winter Days

Alucard hated the Wallachian winters. The snow was always, without fail, heavy and wet, effectively weighing down and soaking whatever it landed on. It piled up and was Hell to get through if you had to travel through it. It sapped the life out of everything and left the landscape a white void.   
So why on earth had he agreed to go on this ‘nature hike’ Sypha had all insisted they needed?

“It’s no good for the soul or the body to stay cooped up between four walls,” she preached as she led them down a forest path, seemingly unaffected by the chill the dhampir loathed. Speakers were certainly a hardy if not strange breed of humans.

“Pretty sure the castle has more than four walls Sypha, we would have been fine.” Trevor complained. Alucard was at least silent about his dislike, the Belmont on the other hand might as well have owned a horn that bellowed ‘ _ I HATE EVERYTHING AND I’M HAVING A BAD TIME _ ’ every time you blew into it.

“Shut up, the fresh air is good for you.” the Speaker chided as she stood at the crest of the hill, putting her hands on her hips and taking a dramatic deep breath as if to prove her point.

“The castle also has fireplaces, warm baths, a bunch of comfy beds, and all the  _ books _ you could ever want.” he says enticingly.

“Your temptations fall on deaf ears, Belmont.” she says, “Come on now, just bit more and then we’ll head back.”

Trevor groaned, but nonetheless complied. His walk reminded Alucard of a child being forced to follow a parent on a long shopping trip. Though in all fairness, the dhampir was certain he had adopted the same walk.

“If it makes you feel any better, I hate this just as much as you do.” he tells the Belmont, kicking a rock that had done nothing to him except happen to be in his path.

“I appreciate the solidarity.” Trevor chuckles, “Winter can suck my dad’s balls.”

“I did not need the image of your father’s testicles but I share the sentiment.” the dhampir snorts, “Tell me, what’s the worst part of winter for you?”

“You asked first, you answer first.” he retorts.

“Fine. My least favorite part of winter is the clothes. You have to put on a ridiculous amount of layers of itchy wool just to run a short errand.” he says, “And God help you if any snow gets in your boots, because for something that’s supposed to keep you warm wool soaks much too easily.”

“Good point, good point.” Trevor nods thoughtfully, “My least favorite part of winter is the mud. Summer mud is fine because you can just wait for it to dry and scrub it off, but winter mud stays wet forever and it's cold and horrible and should be banished from the Earth.”

“Oh my God, all you two ever do is complain!” Sypha scoffs, “What about the fun stuff, like having a nice cup of tea and watching the snowfall, and making snow angels, and having snowball fights?”

“Well if it’s a snowball fight you want.” Trevor smirks mischievously, scooping up a handful of snow and throwing at the snowball straight at her. It anti-climatically landed against her chest with a soft  _ ‘poof!’ _ . 

Sypha cocked a brow, crossing her arms as she smiled deviously, “You dare challenge me, an all powerful scholar of magic and master of elements, to a snowball fight?” she bellows with a dramatic flair that would make even the most talented actors jealous. She raises her hands into the air dramatically, before bringing them down swiftly.

Following her command, the snow that had been resting on the trees plummeted down and piled onto the Belmont, causing him to disappear underneath the heap of snow.

Alucard burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he doubled over. The Belmont emerged from the snowpile, shaking the flakes from his hair as he grabbed an armful of snow and threw it over the dhampir, “Revenge!” he yelled out as he grabbed another armful and b-lined towards the Speaker as she giggled in delight and ran away, weaving between trees. Alucard chuckled as he made two snowballs, floating up into the air to get a better aim at his targets.

Their laughter filled the white landscape as they frolicked about in the snow, and in the middle of it all Alucard found himself thinking...

_ ‘Perhaps winter wasn’t so bad after all.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally for a secret santa who never responded, so it's going here now. hope you liked it!! <3


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